Garmin GPSmap 76CSx as a chartplotter

[Benbow]

I have a Garmin GPSmap 76CSx which I use for land nav. I would like to use it as a backup chartploter that I can carry with me for deliveries. I know almost nothing about charting options and would appreciate advice on what my options are.

I need charting of S and E coast of Africa. I see this is covered by Garmin's Atlantic Bluechart CD. Any comments on these charts ? Do I have any alternative sources of charts that I can upload ? Any general advice - as I say, I have only used paper charts or other people's plotters before.

Thanks

 

[billcowan]

Atlantic bluechart is very good, with come caveats.

It is only as detailed as the relevant Admiralty chart, so in the Solent etc you can zoom right in to fantastic detail, but on the coast of Morocco, just expect no detail at all when you zoom in.

Also as you zoom out, detail just suddenly disappears, and labels appear and disappear, quite disconcerting.

You don't get any land detail, place names, names of hills, "chimney conspic" etc.

The screen on 76C is very small, so I do all my planning on the laptop and upload it to the GPS. Works very well.